Saving adjustments in Photoshop.

[JonnyM]

For those photoshop afficionados out there. If I have any layers of adjustment on an image can I save those adjustments from the Layers' palette or elsewhere, and apply them to a different image? Eg: I'm working on a portrait and think the adjustments I've made could be suitable for another portrait without having to start from scratch.

I hope this makes sense.

Jonny.

[GeoffWessex]

Adjustment Layers can be dragged to other images..... but...... if it involves any masking (based on the image) then it won't work. Not sure what you mean by "Layers palette or elsewhere"......... I can't think how you'd copy them from 'elsewhere'. Don't forget, if you've got an images that has lots of fancy adjustment layers and selections, you can save them if your file is a TIFF or PSD.

However, if you're using 'full' Photoshop, you would normally create 'Actions', which can be run on any image. I'm a lowly PS Elements user so I've never actually 'built' an Action - even though I often use them in Elements. If you asked the question about copying adjustments on some other Photoshop forums, you could be the **** of a few snide comments...... Actions are the 'pro' way.

[JonnyM]

Right, thanks Geoff, although I'm still none the wiser. I don't know what an 'action' is so I'll do some more research. I just thought if, for example, I've applied 4 different adjustment layers to one image (nothing fancy) I could apply those same layers to a different image; I hadn't even thought about masks.

[GeoffWessex]

Ok, the simple answer is 'yes'......... if you have anything in a Layer Mask, though, this would also 'carry across'......... For example, if you made a Hue/Saturation Adjustment layer to make a black and white image, you might not want everything to be black and white....... so you'd use a layer mask to prevent certain areas losing their colour. It's a bit like putting a plate of white-washed glass between the adjustment layer and the image layer - if you rub away some whitewash from a certain area you'd see through to the layer below. (With a Photoshop Layer Mask you would 'paint black' to do the equivalent of rubbing the whitewash away). So that Layer Mask is only going to be applicable to the image being edited..... but the Adjustment itself can be used on other images. (You could actually copy the Mask over to a new image as well, but you'd need to bring the mask back to full effectiveness by flooding it with white again).

(haha - I see my post was auto-edited to remove a word - it was only 'BUT' - with an extra 'T'!)

[JonnyM]

Yes, it did that with my 'Water B**t' photograph. So can I select these layers and just copy and paste them is that the idea? Okay, I'll give it a go when I get to my computer.

[GeoffWessex]

Even easier.... have both images open and just 'click and drag' a layer over. 'Drop' it on the image you want to work on and it becomes the top layer.

[JonnyM]

Now we're talking. I've got access to my computer so I'll have a play around. I was hoping that it is possible to do a batch process though, apply certain adjustments to several photos perhaps by using 'Adobe Bridge', just pasting those layers in to the appropriate photos. I was reading about 'Lightroom 4' yesterday and it seems you can transfer adjustments from one image to another using the 'Previous' key or, alternatively, 'Copy & Paste'. This doesn't help me with CS4 but it's food for thought.